Smithfield Foods has filed a racketeering lawsuit against UFCW—the union organizing its employees in Tar Heel, North Carolina—along with its allies in that fight for justice, including Jobs With Justice. National JWJ will dedicate a part of their web site to this threat.

Many voices have already joined us in opposition to this tactic, including a piece in the DMI Blog, "Using a Sledgehammer to Crack a Nut: Smithfield’s Union Busting History,", and an in-depth series on the Global Labor Strategies blog, "Smithfield Packing v. The Constitution" and "The Smithfield and Wackenhut RICO Suits: Forward into the Past."

Here in Chicago, JWJ and other allies have spent the last couple of years educating consumers, grocery stores, and politicians about the abuses faced by workers at Smithfield's Tar Heel plant. This RICO suit threatens our ability to fight for issues like this, and we won't take this attack sitting down. Check back on this site for more new about the suit and our developing strategy in response to its threat.